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Showing posts from December, 2006

Talking With Birds

My son enjoyed a fun time at a mini-zoo which is actually jsut across the hospital where I am working. What he loved best was the talking bird. Here's a video clip I posted about my son having a conversation with this loquacious fowl.

Cavemen Days

It took me ages to get through my blog after the Taiwan-Batanes Quakes which struck about 2 days ago. This blog entry is actually a test drive to see whether or not I can actually post a blog here. Anyway, if ever I can get through, let me say a blessed New Year to everyone!

Happy Eating Everyone!

How Christmas Happened

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It started early afternoon of Christmas Eve when I prepared the menu for the noche buena. The menu included the usual pasta, fruit salad, chicken macaroni, ice cream, brasos de mercedes and some drinks. Just before 8 pm, my son and I headed for church to attend the Christmas Eve mass. It was the first time my son and I went to attend midnight mass together. Last year, I was on duty as junior intern. After the mass, Rien went to the Baby Jesus image and along with the other children, kissed his baby feet. I then took his picture infront of the nativity scene situated beside the altar. We went home where the rest of the family was waiting. We had our noche buena during which Rien led the family prayer. We were surprised how he eloquently prayed the "Grace before meals" without error. Later, we exchanged gifts and opened them beside the Christmas tree. On Christmas Day, Rien and Roann went to Himamaylan to spend the holidays with her mom's relatives. I spent the entire day w...

Immortalized!

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Yesterday, I attended our batch meeting for our tenth year anniversary as USLS-IS alumni. The small meeting was held at Cafe Bob's Lacson and those in attendance were: JR Abello, Erika Dumancas, Pinky Alojado, Tweety Golez, Rommel Abaja, Genievieve Sado, Frederick Peronce, Eddielyn Cioco, John Ganihong, Sherry Joy Velasco, Renalyn Navarez, Gennifer Salinas and me of course. The small meeting didn't start without updating ourselves with the latest buzz about each other. I told them that I am to be a father for the second time again. Rommel told us that he was already married and is planning to migrate to Ireland this Feb. Erika is a mom as well. The rest remain to be blessedly single. It was fun to be with old friends. I couldn't imagine that it's almost ten years since we were classmates in high school. Nothing has changed really. We still look the way we were 8 years ago. We still sound the way we did 8 years ago. And while the love teams have come and gone, the memori...

4 days To Christmas!

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It is now 4 days to Christmas and I have already done my Christmas shopping yesterday. I have wrapped the gifts I am suppose to give out this 224th. I was hoping we would be receiving a large sum of Christmas bonus from the hospital but I guess the 13th month pay was enough. But it wasn't really enough these days. So much expenses. Especially on my part when both me and my wife are once again expecting another bundle of joy this April. We went to have an ultrasound done last Monday and the baby's healthy and it seems we are going to have another baby boy! We then visited our OB-GYNE and now the fun begins. My wife's EDD is April 4, 2007 according to the ultrasound report. She is now on her 25th week. What's so hectic about December is the many Christmas parties one has to attend. Not all of these gatherings could be fit into my schedule but really my calendar is already filled with so many activities: christmas carolling, parties, dinner, etc. And even if I am already b...

Flash Floods: The Aftermath

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Last Wednesday, the rains poured so hard that almost 27 barangays in the entire city was under water. Even BOLMSH wasn't spared. I already saw the carnage brought about by this storm at around lunch time yesterday when I visited the PGIs dormitory. There I saw Kenneth, Radcibel, TinTin and Mark Agana mopping the mock out of the dorm along with the trash brought by the raging floods. Later, they told me their horror story about their first hand experience of a flash flood. The waters came at early morning at around 3 am and it rose so fast by the time they were fully awake and aware of what was happening, the water level inside the dorm was already waist-deep. They tried to move out of the dorm but the forceful waters pushed on the door making them unable to budge it open. All of their clothes were washed out, including JJ's TV set and DVD player. All our books were soiled and nothing was spared. They were able to eventually find their way out of the dorm and the water by then w...

The Truth About Snakes and One-Eyed Monsters

Last Saturday, while Con-Con and I were with the DR and Nursery staff and junior consultants in a distant beach down south, a confrontation was happening inside the medical conference room. The inevitable face-off between the G-L-P triumvirate and the 12 Disciples did occur and it was in the presence of the I.M.J.C.'s. Even before the confrontation began, every disciple knew that the I.M.J.C.'s have already turned into near-sighted Cyclops thanks to the magic of the G-L-P triumvirate. I couldn't tell all the details of the said confrontation considering that all of the information I received were second-hand and therefore everything that I will be writing here would be considered hearsay. But this I can tell, there is so much to learn from this entire fiasco. I have learned that people can be very dishonest. I have learned that people who only listen to their lies and believe blindly in their lies are guilty of the same dishonesty. I have learned that no matter how much one...

Christmas Has Just Started Early

Alas, the Christmas season has found its way into my doorstep. I took the Sunday off last weekend and decided to buy some Christmas decors and lights for the house. I also put up our ancient 6-foot tree along with its prehistoric christmas balls and bells. I did buy some new ones and added newer lights so the house is definitely looking Yuletide now. For this Christmas I have also made a short list of Christmas wishes of my own. I do wish that these wishes would come true and I am hoping that Santa Claus would find me nice rather than naughty this year. Bayen's Christmas List: 1. World Peace - I am no beauty pageant contestant but this cliche statement has some good sense about it. The news is saturated by shitty stuff. One bad news to another, tis all being given a bad media hype. I do hope that this Christmas we take more focus on the other side of news: the Good News, the Godspell! . 2. House and Lot - this actually commences the more mundane part of the Christmas wish list. I d...

Around the Island In One-hour

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After two days of stormy weather, the sun has finally found its way on the sunny island-province of Negros. This morning, the three of us (Con, Melvs and I) went to Paglaum Village Health Center where we were assigned for the day. My mother-in-law was a teacher in the neighboring elementary school so she greeted us there and provided snacks for us. We were warmly accommodated. Then we hopped on Melvin's pick-up and decided to spend our lunch time at the Panaad Park where a Christmas Theme Park was opened. Usually, the Panaad Park is opened only during Summer when the Panaad Festival is usually held. Now for the first time, the park is opened on Christmas and it was another opportunity for us to rediscover the Island Province of Negros Occidental by visiting the booths of about 13 cities and 19 municipalities scattered around the huge area. The Theme was Christmas of course thus Christmas trees and Nativity Scenes were being put up in all booths. It was a fun adventure and of course...

Hang In There, Buddy

The feeling of being powerless, unable to do anything, not being in control, and having to face the inevitable loss of a person you admire, you loved your whole life... I know the feeling, bro. And so many of us share your anxiety, your tensions, your sorrow. There are moments you wish to be as strong as you can, want to rationalize the whole thing, even question God or blame him in the process. No matter what you do, what you feel, what you think, never forget that the friends you have temporarily left here are willing to share half of the burden you need to carry throughout this ordeal. Life is tough. Just hang in there, buddy! This, too, shall pass.

Road Trips, Foundation Days and Hospital Admissions

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Last Thursday, Con Con, Gerard, Andy and I went to Bago City to have lunch at Mary Ann's. It was her birthday and it was our chance to come back to Bago City almost more than a year since I was a J.I. It was almost like an adventurous road trip: riding on a "jeep star" bus and taking that one hour trip to the South City. When we came to Mary Ann's place, we were greeted by her mom and a host of palatable delicacies. Con Con's bf, Ryan, was already there waiting for her. When I was a J.I. assigned in Bago City, my group stayed in Mary Ann's house during the entire rotation. The lunch was not that difficult to refuse. I ate almost every dish prepared for us. Even before we decided to take our leave, more plates filled with food were chasing after us. I told them, one more bite and the chicken I ate would already be pushing into my cecum still undigested. Before we left Bago City, Mary Ann dropped us off Bago City Health. It was a homecoming for the four of us. W...

Ex Pluribus Unum

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I was watching the visit of Pope Benedict XVI in Turkey being televised by EWTN. I was blessed to witness the Divine Liturgy held at the Cathedral of St. George, an Orthodox Church, presided by no less than the Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I. Pope Benedict was also there seated and in prayer along with the Orthodox clergy and laity. At the end of the liturgy, both leaders of these two "sister churches" delivered messages for each other. It was clear from both sides: there is that blazing desire for a full communion between the Church in Rome and the Church in Constantinople. The centuries-old schism between the East and West is almost about to be resolved. It started more than 20 years ago when both their predecessors lifted the "ex-communication orders" both Churches have imposed on one another. Since then, dialogues have started trying to iron out both the "secular" and "doctrinal" differences. I loved it when Pope Benedict XVI men...